ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Parents who have a stillborn child will be able to get a birth certificate from the state Health Department if they choose, under legislation awaiting the signature of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The Certificate of Still Birth Bill was first introduced in New York in 2003, but failed to pass because opponents feared it would impinge on abortion rights.

The language of the bill has since been rewritten to address those concerns.

The bill in its current form, supported by Family Planning Advocates, was championed by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef.

Currently, parents who experience one of the more than 1,700 stillbirths annually in New York are given a death certificate but can’t get a birth certificate.

Twenty-eight other states have passed similar bills since 2001.

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